Shin'in Shinden
The genjutsu training method uses a standardized regimen that allows the sensei to repeatedly train their students inside genjutsu. By sealing a tsuiwonasu or permanent twin inside of students a teacher may administer lessons, tests, and combat scenarios designed to drastically improve the competence and resilience of disciples. This practice begins at the academy level and continues throughout the shinobi's career. Methodology First a tsuiwonasu is sealed with a blood seal, upon which he/she is ready for training at any time. While the pupil sleeps or during leisure time, genjutsu training episodes occur without warning. If the tsuiwonasu initiates training during sleeping hours, it occurs as a dream inserted into the normal rhythm of nightly REM sleep. Regular dreams are not interfered with as they are necessary to the normal healthy functioning of the brain and overall health. However, once these have taken place a genjutsu dream occurs that extends the normal hours of REM sleep. During REM sleep, several physiological changes take place: heart rate and breathing accelerate, blood pressure, body temperature, and brain activity increase. Brain waves reach alpha levels, as when the pupil is awake and relaxed, or higher. The body becomes paralyzed until the end of REM sleep through the release of glycine, an amino acid, from the brain stem onto the motoneurons (neural pathways that conduct impulses outward from the brain or spinal cord). This allows dreams or genjutsu to occur without the body acting out the dream/genjutsu. The disciple then undergoes a vivid dream that is indistinguishable from real life. In this dream, yin and yang chakras are released into system simultaneously. The yin chakra controls the genjutsu, and gradually alters the brain wave patterns (correlated to dominance, dormancy, and activity of cerebral regions) from the student's normal beginner's patterns to those more conducive to learning and executing particular lessons, up to and including those patterns exhibited in the expert mindset. The yang chakra is synchronized to program the cerebellum, medulla oblongata, and muscle memory. These systems are involved in the programming of learned reflexes as opposed to innate reflexes. Training sessions proven by the test of time most helpful to beginners and low level shinobi are passed down across generations to be adapted as needed for modern times. The disciple experiences combat scenarios designed to improve individual or holistic skills, train mental or emotional resilience under stress, or prepare for difficult and even impossible decisions. The acolyte is trained almost as they would be in real life. However, due to the nature of dreams, large amounts of training can be condensed into short time periods and inordinately hazardous situations can be safely carried out, which would normally prove lethal to beginners. Results/Risk Disciples who undergo this type of training develop two to three times faster than under normal training methods and exhibit higher levels of competency and expertise. Since the tsuiwonasu's chakra or stamina is used in place of the trainee's, he awakens refreshed from the sleeping/training period, just as he would from normal nightly sleep. The risk remains, however, that multiple scenarios crammed into single training sessions will result in mental fatigue similar to that experienced by those who utilize the kage bunshin training method. For this reason, the sensei limits training sessions to one or two experiences per night to prevent battle fatigue and promote combat readiness. At later stages of development, actual historical battle sequences can be programmed into the regimen in order to put pupils through real life combat circumstances. This allows for greater development and maturation of acolytes and genin by exposing them to the types of situations they will actually encounter without physical risk. Unfortunately, there is mental risk that if a disciple encounters a genjutsu situation that he is mentally incapable of dealing with, such as death of a loved one or other psychological trauma, he may experience lasting post traumatic stress as he would under any type of real trauma. And as with any training method, diminishing returns asserts that the technique exhibits maximum effectiveness at genin levels, significantly less, but still impressive effectiveness at chūnin levels, and moderate effectiveness over physical training at jōnin and above levels. The exception to that rule is that combat experiences can still be directly shared among shinobi instead merely developed individually. Since this training method was implemented after the Ten Fingers of Bloodstained Hands, the Kyrgyzishi and their close allies have increased their level of combat readiness and competence many times over. Such training methods have also resulted in a greatly reduced attrition rate when compared to results of training methods utilized by other shinobi villages and nations. As such, the Land of Whispering Bone has become one of the few nations who's entire population remains in some way shape or form involved in the shinobi profession. Trivia *Scientific studies have shown that athletes, martial artists, and other performers receive real gains in development from visualization alone, comparable to actual physical training. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/sport_psych/a/aa091700a.htm *Researchers have demonstrated hypnosis, neurofeedback, and biofeedback can be used to accelerate progress. http://www.amazon.com/Case-Studies-Applied-Psychophysiology-Neurofeedback/dp/0470971738 *Techniques like trans-cranial magnetic/electric stimulation demonstrate that some individuals can gan temporary (or even permanent with repetition) savant skills, such as instant mathematical calculation, counting, memorization, etc. This is accomplished by forcing the brain to shut down normally dominant regions of the brain, allowing normally dormant or less active areas to become more active. Since dominant areas have been pacified, less dominant areas are forced to process information normally processed in the more active cerebral areas. Individuals for whom this is effective exhibit savant capabilities. With significant repetition people can often gain conscious control over this process. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/beautiful-minds/201001/conversations-creativity-allan-snyder